Major boxing returned for the first time in the New Year. Here are the highs and lows in the week of boxing.

The Good

-Caleb Plant captures championship gold for the first time. No one was surprised that Plant won the fight, but it came about in an un-Plant-like way. Instead of using his superior boxing skills against Jose Uzcategui, the Tennessee native scored two knockdowns — in the second and fourth rounds — to get the unanimous decision and win the IBF super middleweight title.

Uzcategui tried to roar back in the middle rounds, including rocking Plant with left hand with a minute to go in the ninth round. Having gone through the death of his 19-month-daughter, Alia, a few years ago, Plant dug deep, hung tough and endured the late rally from Uzcategui to win the belt.

Very impressive performance by Plant (18-0, 10 KOs) in the fact he beat a slugger like Uzcategui at his own game and kept a relentless pace for the majority of the contest. Hopefully this is the Plant we see going forward. While you can box and win, fans want to see action. You do that and they will continue to watch on television and pay their hard-earned money for tickets to see you do what you do best.

-Devin Haney's star continues to rise. The 20-year-old put on a show in beating the previously-undefeated Xolisani Ndongeni (25-1, 13 KOs) on Friday night by unanimous decision. It only took Haney a few minutes to figure Ndongeni out when he rocked the South African with a blistering three-punch combination at the end of the first round. Haney came out looking for the finish in the second round and nearly did just that when he sent Ndongeni to the mat. To Ndongeni's credit, he got up and made it all 10 rounds, but Haney's overall skill was just too much for him to handle.

Haney (21-0, 13 KOs) doesn't box like he's 20. He's wise beyond his years. Instead of continuously going for the KO, Haney boxed the second half of the fight and made it a point to rip the body and make Ndongeni pay for coming forward.

"The Dream" let the lightweight division know a new lion is in town. Will he win a title in 2019? That remains to be seen, but stay on the lookout for one of the most exciting prospects in the sport.

The Bad

Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) is regarded as one of, if not the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The Omaha, Nebraska native blasted Jose Benavidez Jr. via 12th-round TKO in October to win his second straight bout via stoppage since moving up to welterweight last year.

After getting savagely knocked out by Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in May 2016, Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) fought twice in 2018 and earned victories against Phil Lo Greco and Samuel Vargas. The 32-year-old put Lo Greco away in 39 seconds back in May, but struggled with Vargas in September, showing once again how weak his chin is, as the light-punching Vargas dropped him in the second round.

By far, Khan is the biggest name Crawford has faced. It helps Crawford on the resume end, but does nothing in helping "Bud" as far as fighting goes. Khan brings nothing to the table that will keep Crawford up at night.

And why is the announcement in London? The fight had been rumored for New York City at Madison Square Garden. Khan should be coming to Crawford, not the other way around, considering the stature of both boxers at this point.

A Crawford-Khan clash is nothing more than a stay-busy fight for Crawford as he continues his trek toward an inevitable clash with Errol Spence Jr. Meanwhile, Khan should have taken a more winnable and financially lucrative bout with fellow Englishman Kell Brook. Instead, "King Khan" is looking at the real possibility of getting viciously stopped like he did by Alvarez.

The Dirty

-Dillian Whyte getting shafted. Lowball offers in boxing happen quite often when fights are being discussed. You can understand that, as promoters want to keep costs low and their own pockets fat. Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte seemed like they were headed toward a fight, but that doesn't appear to be the case for what could have been an April 13 bout at Wembley Stadium between the unified world heavyweight champion and challenger. The latter, Whyte, did an interview last week and wasn't enthralled with the offer he received to face Joshua in a rematch.

“There’s been a first offer, but it’s utterly ridiculous. It’s just silly.”

Whyte says the offer was lower than what he made in December, when he knocked out Dereck Chisora. Joshua and Whyte share the same promoter in Eddie Hearn, so the fight should be easy to make.

Should Joshua make more than Whyte? Absolutely. But Whyte has a lot to offer as well, considering he defeated Joshua during their amateur days in 2009 and gave the champion a hard test in December 2015, before AJ knocked him out.

Fighters have a short shelf life. They put their lives on the line and should be fairly compensated for the risks they take stepping through the ropes. Whyte (25-1, 18 KOs), who earned the Sporting News 2018 KO of the Year, is a big attraction in England in his own right. Let's hope the right thing is done and ante is raised for Whyte.

Joshua isn't facing Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury next, as they are reportedly working towards finalizing a deal to square off once again. There has been talk of Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller for Joshua's United States debut later this spring. Miller needs a top-notch win before he gets a crack at Joshua, which leaves Whyte as the best option available.